Server based gaming system and method for selectively providing one or more different tournaments
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:
- (a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each of the first plurality of players using one of the gaming machines;
(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each of the second plurality of players using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time;
(c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, during the first round of the tournament, enable each of the first plurality of players and each of the second plurality of players to play a plurality of tournament games, wherein, for each of the second plurality of players, the plurality of tournament games played by said player are configured such that said player has a substantially same chance of winning the tournament as each of the first plurality of players;
(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each play of each of said tournament games, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes;
(e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes;
(f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the displayed tournament game outcomes; and
(g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of an award to be provided to the determined tournament winner.
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Abstract
A gaming system includes a central server or controller operable to communicate a plurality of different commands to a plurality of gaming machines to provide non-tournament game play and to provide tournament game play on the same gaming machines.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each of the first plurality of players using one of the gaming machines; (b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each of the second plurality of players using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, during the first round of the tournament, enable each of the first plurality of players and each of the second plurality of players to play a plurality of tournament games, wherein, for each of the second plurality of players, the plurality of tournament games played by said player are configured such that said player has a substantially same chance of winning the tournament as each of the first plurality of players; (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each play of each of said tournament games, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes; (e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes; (f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the displayed tournament game outcomes; and (g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of an award to be provided to the determined tournament winner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each of the first plurality of players using one of the gaming machines; (b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each of the second plurality of players using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to provide the second plurality of players an advantage in the tournament, wherein the advantage is configured such that each of the second plurality of players has a substantially same chance of winning the tournament as each of the first plurality of players; (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines and at least one input device to, during the first round of the tournament, for each of the first and second pluralities of players, receive a wager from said player for at least one play of one of a plurality of tournament games; (e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each said tournament game played, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes; (f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes; (g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each of the players, for each play of each of the tournament games, if a winning tournament game outcome is displayed to said player provide said player an award for said winning tournament game outcome based on said player'"'"'s wager for said play of the tournament game; (h) at an end of the tournament, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a tournament winner based on the awards provided to the players; and (i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of a tournament award to be provided to the determined tournament winner, the tournament award being in addition to any other awards provided to the tournament winner. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each of the first plurality of players using one of the gaming machines; (b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each of the second plurality of players using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, during the first round of the tournament, enable each of the first plurality of players and each of the second plurality of players to play a plurality of tournament games, wherein at least one of the tournament games played by each of the second plurality of players includes a feature that is different than a feature of at least one of the tournament games played by each of the first plurality of players, each different feature of the tournament games played by the second plurality of players being configured such that each of the second plurality of players has a substantially same chance of winning the tournament as each of the first plurality of players; (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each play of each of said tournament games, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes; (e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes; (f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the displayed tournament game outcomes; and (g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the at least one display device to display an indication of an award to be provided to the determined tournament winner. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of operating a tournament gaming system, said method comprising:
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(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions stored in at least one memory device to operate with a plurality of gaming machines to, at a designated first point in time, enable a first plurality of qualified players to begin play of a first round of a tournament until a designated third point in time, each player using one of the gaming machines; (b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, at a designated second point in time, enable a second plurality of qualified players to begin play of the first round of the tournament until the third point in time, each player using one of the gaming machines, wherein the second point in time is subsequent to the first point in time and the third point in time is subsequent to the second point in time, wherein a feature of the first round of the tournament for the second plurality of players is different than a feature of the first round of the tournament for the first plurality of players, wherein the feature includes providing extra winning combinations to the second plurality of players; (c) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with the gaming machines to, during the tournament, enable each of the first plurality of players and each of the second plurality of players to play a plurality of tournament games; (d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, for each said tournament game played, randomly determine one of a plurality of different tournament game outcomes; (e) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display said determined tournament game outcomes; (f) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to, at an end of the tournament, determine a tournament winner based on the displayed tournament game outcomes; and (g) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to operate with at least one display device to display an indication of an award to be provided to the determined tournament winner.
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Specification